(A month has passed)
The Hero Association's testing grounds buzzed with nervous energy as thirty young hopefuls talked amongst themselves.
Miles adjusted his purple-and-white hero suit, his shock baton strapped to his thigh, his white cape covering his entire body.
Mr. Perfect's warnings echoed in his mind:
"There's a lot of people I highly recommend you avoid. But the main five would be the following: Jackie James (LightningEdge), Gwin Scarlet (Scarlet Marionett), Joseph Martin (Hope), Violet Veil (Ivy), and finally Arthur Star (Nameless).
Miles swallowed, scanning the crowd.
Jackie was surrounded by youthful heros, Joseph and Violet lean against a pillar seemly chatting with each other and Gwin was sewing dolls to pass the time.
When suddenly, fire erupted at the entrance.
A pillar of flames roared to life, parting like a curtain as two figures emerged:
Flamestar, radiant in her crimson-and-gold spandex, and Arthur, with a new look, his white hair tied back in a short ponytail, two loose strands framing his face, and his right arm of his hero outfit was sleeveless.
Flamestar whispered something to him before kissing his forehead, then vanished in a swirl of embers.
The room fell silent as Arthur walked forward, his boots clicking against the polished floor. He leaned against a pillar, closed his eyes till Jackie James strutted up.
"Look who it is," Jackie sneered, lightning dancing across his knuckles, "The ex-con. What, they let you out for good behavior?"
A few nervous laughs rippled through the crowd.
Arthur didn't open his eyes.
"You see, my dad told me a lot about you...hero kill—"
Then—
Jackie's voice died in his throat.
His body locked up, his eyes rolling back. He collapsed to his floor, trembling violently—his mouth open in a soundless scream.
Arthur's left eye pulsed, the iris shifting into an infinity symbol before fading back to normal.
Ten seconds passed.
Jackie gasped like a drowning man, scrambling backward before bolting from the room.
No one dared laugh now. Even the loudmouths stared at Arthur.
Then—
*SPLORTCH!*
A geyser of blood erupted in front of Arthur, reforming into Gwin Scarlet, her face flushed crimson, her mask clutched to her chest.
"M-Marry me!" she blurted.
Arthur blinked, "…What?"
"You're so cool and scary and pretty—"
"Sure," Arthur muttered. He guessed it was a joke… but decided to play along.
Gwin squealed, walking in circles, "I'll plan everything! We'll have black roses! And a cake! And—"
Arthur sighed, "I found a crazy one."
---
A chime echoed through the hall.
The five Elders of the Hero Association each appeared through different elemental portals—fire, frost, lightning, light, and plant.
Elder Maximilian, his voice like grinding stone, stepped forward.
"Welcome," he boomed, "The examination will begin now. Two weeks. Five phases. Only fifteen worthy heroes may leave with their hero licence."
Elder Frost, points to the holographic board above.
"Your teams have been decided."
Miles looked up and his stomach dropped.
TEAM 3:
- Arthur
- Gwin Scarlet
- Miles Thomas
Mr. Perfect's voice screamed in his head shouting "NOOO!"
---
The three of them stood in a quiet corner of the Association's prep room, away from the other examinees who were still shooting them wary glances.
"Alright, let's get to know each other since we will be stuck with each other for two weeks." Arthur said, crossing his arms, "Names plus hero name, Triggers, and dreams. Let's hear it."
Miles fidgeted with his shock baton before speaking first, "Miles Thomas and my hero name is Shadowbearer. My Trigger is… um, Shadow Wyrm. I can summon her, and she… uh, gets a little violent sometimes. And my other power is well...shadow hands." He hesitated. "I live in Coastal City. And I guess… I just want to become the number one hero."
Arthur nodded, "Arthur and hero name is Nameless. My trigger is Absolute Authority. Left eye disables Triggers, right eye summons my knight." He smirked, "Live with my team in Golden City. Future plans? Nothing but surviving I guess... actually I'm going to make Flamestar the next number one hero."
Gwin clapped her hands together, practically vibrating with excitement, "Gwin Scarlet! My powers are Blood Manipulation! I live in a super cozy mansion with my parents, and I hope you both will take good care of me." She beamed. "My dream is to have a family of my own. Now that I have friend and husband, I'm one step closer to achieving that dream."
Miles blinked, "Wait, friend?"
Arthur and Gwin both turned to him.
"Yeah," Arthur said, like it was obvious. "We are a team. That makes each one of us each other problem now."
Gwin nodded vigorously, "Bestie status automatic."
Miles stared at them, his throat tightening, "But… my Trigger. People usually—"
"Kiddo, I have no reason to judge you for powers. Matter of fact, I'm the last person allowed to judge anyone." Arthur said as he rested his back against the wall.
"My powers have always made people feel uncomfortable, but I always try my best to make it less scary to them. That's why bestie, even if your powers are scary, just know that I will think it's cool." Gwin added cheerfully.
Miles eyes begun to water. He quickly wiped them with his sleeve, but the small, disbelieving smile stayed.
Arthur pulled out his phone, "I almost forgot, team huddle. My mentor wanted me to take a selfie with the team for memories."
Gwin immediately latched onto Miles' arm, dragging him close, "Smile, bestie!"
Miles, still wide-eyed, managed a shaky grin as Arthur held up the phone.
"Say 'misfits,'" Arthur said.
*Click.*
Arthur examined the photo—Gwin's manic joy, Miles tentative hope, his own dry amusement, "Team Misfits. Fits."
Gwin gasped, "We need matching outfits! And team bracelets! And—"
"Maybe another time," Arthur said, pocketing his phone.
---
A sharp whistle cut through the chatter.
"Examinees!" An old man in a high-collared blue suit stepped forward, "You will address me as Knowledge. Now, you will follow me for your written examination."
The crowd began to move, but Knowledge held up a hand.
"And a reminder—cheating will result in immediate disqualification and using your trigger during the written test. Your team will be given points base on how much they score on multiple questions regarding the hero association code of conduct. Your team will need at least six points to pass, and the results will be published tomorrow. "Failing to earn six points will result in your entire team being eliminated from the Analysis Exam. Then you will have to repeat for it next year."
The examinees begun whispering amongst each other about whether they studied or not.
"Last year, seventeen out of twenty-five people failed the written test. If you don't even know the laws that you are supposed to enforce, then I suggest you apply for a job at your local market. Teams make your way to the exam room." Knowledge explained
As they filed into the exam room, Miles glanced at his teammates—Arthur, relaxed and unbothered, and Gwin, humming as she skipped beside him.
He wondered, whatever they will score enough points to pass.